Championship 2007 - Atlanta - What Needs To Be Improved

[yodameister]

Originally Posted by chaoticprout

My biggest complaint was the announcement of the free for all for the tubes on the field right before the chairmans award. Many people ran for it and didn't come back to see it and it really took away from the importance of the award.

Ditto

[VanMan]

Don't put the awards in between the Matches. Makes it boring and less energetic.

[AndyB]

Originally Posted by VanMan

Don't put the awards in between the Matches. Makes it boring and less energetic.

Teams must be given some amount of time to fix and repair their robot for their next match. Awards give them this time. You'll notice that in between the 2nd and 3rd finals matches, they didn't have any awards to give out, so they played music and let people dance. They need some sort of buffer between matches.

By doing awards during then, this adds suspense, spreads out the action, gives teams time to fix their robots and alter their strategy to make the finals, as fair as possible.

[seraphim33]

Originally Posted by AndyB

Teams must be given some amount of time to fix and repair their robot for their next match. Awards give them this time. You'll notice that in between the 2nd and 3rd finals matches, they didn't have any awards to give out, so they played music and let people dance. They need some sort of buffer between matches.

By doing awards during then, this adds suspense, spreads out the action, gives teams time to fix their robots and alter their strategy to make the finals, as fair as possible.

thats a really good idea

[Joker[eS]]

This first point isn't really about the championship, but rather a suggestion for the GDC.

On the Newton Field, a red card ended the competition between two teams in the final rounds. I think that it would be nice if the red card meant that the match needed to be replayed without the third robot. Sure, a red card is bad, but if you look at a sport like soccer, a red card penalizes the individual and the team, by having them play with less players. Perhaps calling a red card DURING the match, instead of afterwards, and then replaying the match 2v3 without the robot who committed the infraction.

A point on championships:

I would've found it nice if the pits ran perpendicular to how they were this year, if only because it would've meant less crossing the aisle. I can see where this might be bad for rookie teams, and higher numbered teams, but I would've felt like the divisions (Newton, Curie, etc.) were divisions that way.

Another point on championships:

The sound system. Depending where you sat at matches (I was at Newton) or at Einstein at the end of the competition, the sound system could either be way too loud, or way too soft.

*Props to the camera guys. The on-screen video coverage of what was on the field was amazing.*

[Luckyfish05]

I think we were missing some of the magic this year at the Championships. Yes there were lots of good things, but we were missing much of those things that people have already talked about in this thread thus far. But I'm going to state them again plus add some observations.

1. The Closing Ceromonies-
We're was the specialness of the Chairmans? No confetti? No balloons? Wow, this is suppose to be the most special award and half of the teams left before they even showed Wildstangs movie (which was pretty awesome by the way). It's last because it's the most important, people should treat it as such!

2.In the stands-
It seemed quieter, at least on our field (Newton), this year than past years. IMHO, I don't think teams we're yelling as much. Our team was part of the problem, so I'm not trying to say anything about the teams on our field don't get me wrong here. But, I think that's some of the magic, hearing the team get up and cheer. The few times we did try to cheer there were people back behind us that were yelling for us to sit down. Guys, yelling for your team on your feet is good. Getting excited is good. The music was rediculously quiet, but the announcing and MCing were good. That has me confused. There were times I couldn't even tell the music was on.

3. Random thoughts:
Why weren't the lights on in the consession areas for Saturday??? It seems really weird that they didn't have them on. Then for Closing ceremonies when the upper decks are openned up. The guards on the ends, I understand what they were there for, but where they ended the seating wasn't the smartest. It left our team with only one entrance to the aisle, and to get out you had to walk over every other team in that aisle, when there was another entrance out. Caution tape needs to be used to cut an aisle in half when they don't want people past a certain point, but getting yelled at because someone needs to use the restroom and is trying to be considerate by not climbing infront/over of 20 other people doesn't make much sense.

Just remember these are just my negative thoughts. As usual there are so many more positive thoughts than negatives! I can't wait for next year, and I know that much of the rest of the team is the same way. They want to start tomorrow!

[DeAnnaC]

Our family attended the Nationals though our team didn't, so we moved from field to field to check out matches during all 3 days.

I think the rule that is used during hockey games (maybe in other sports) should be followed - no standing/walking to a seat while a game is in play. We were trying to watch matches and would have a handful of people stand up after their team played and just stand - I don't know if there should be an announcement about that or ? but it was very frustrating for us to try and keep up with the action on the field.

We did find it funny that the speaker from Coca Cola encouraged us to visit The World of Coke, as it's currently closed and will not be opened until late May.

[CJV648]

Originally Posted by Luckyfish05

3. Random thoughts:
Why weren't the lights on in the consession areas for Saturday??? It seems really weird that they didn't have them on. Then for Closing ceremonies when the upper decks are openned up. The guards on the ends, I understand what they were there for, but where they ended the seating wasn't the smartest. It left our team with only one entrance to the aisle, and to get out you had to walk over every other team in that aisle, when there was another entrance out. Caution tape needs to be used to cut an aisle in half when they don't want people past a certain point, but getting yelled at because someone needs to use the restroom and is trying to be considerate by not climbing infront/over of 20 other people doesn't make much sense.

You should _never_ cross caution tape without checking with a person in charge what the hazard is. They were right to yell at you and it would not have been inappropriate to eject you from the event.

That said, I thought the Georgia Dome used caution tape excessively and inappropriately. Caution tape should only be used to signify presence of a hazard and not to, for instance, reserve seats or keep people out of an area you don't want to clean. A different sign/tape should be used. The people who cross my caution tape at my hazardous waste cleanups are risking their lives (and sometimes mine); the Georgia Dome staff seems to be training them to do this.

Also the Georgia Dome staff needs training about how the event is organized. I wanted to volunteer at the event and received correct instructions from staff about how to get to volunteer registration, but that entrance was closed unless you had a badge, but the staff member there gave me correct directions to another entrance that was closed unless you had a badge, but the staff member there gave me correct directions to another entrance that was closed unless you had a badge, but the staff member there gave me correct directions to another entrance that was closed unless you had a badge, but the staff member there gave me correct directions to another entrance that was closed .

Finally I met a bunch of guys from the NASA machine shop who were having the same problem, and eventually we ended up entering a closed entrance, but since I was frustrated and the event didn't seem desparate I didn't volunteer.

Also I think they could put the jumbo trons at the ends of the stadium to good use by displaying, for example, the rankings and match schedule.

I enjoyed seeing all the great teams and robots at the event, but I think the regionals I have attended were about as much fun because the individual teams got more playing time.

Rich Vogel (using his wife's account)

[Kit Gerhart]

Originally Posted by CJV648

I enjoyed seeing all the great teams and robots at the event, but I think the regionals I have attended were about as much fun because the individual teams got more playing time.

Rich Vogel (using his wife's account)

From the standpoint of fun, FIRST's best days are behind us. The overall experience will never be as much fun at a football arena as it was at EPCOT. Also, in some ways, it will not be as much fun as before alliances because, if your team is doing well, you spend until about midnight Friday compiling a list of potential alliance picks rather than having fun doing things such as attending a baseball game in Atlanta.

BTW, I'm not complaining about the Championship no longer being held at EPCOT. The event has become too large for the temporary facilities we had there. Also, while the event may not be as much fun as it was at EPCOT, it may be better for the intended purpose of FIRST, and the football arenas are definitely better for watching matches than the temporary facilities at EPCOT.

[Chris Fultz]

Originally Posted by VanMan

Don't put the awards in between the Matches. Makes it boring and less energetic.

mixing in the awards with the matches keeps it interesting and makes the event shorter. FIRST used to do the awards after and it was a very long afternoon, because there has to be a lot of time between matches for teams to get ready.

yes, i know this is a positive in the negative thread, but just responding to the previous post.

[234smidget]

there should be more excitement when the team wins nationals...confetti balloons and i think there should be better announcing of the winning teams

Also i think the announcers should announce all the regionals win for [u]each teams it seems sometimes they didnt do that

Finally i notice a few times the possesion rule wasn't inforced and it could of made a difference of the mathcs but besides that ATLANTA IS AWESOME better weather than indiana

[Cartwright]

I think a big improvement that could be made for next year is more clarification and reason for each penalty. In our division at least, they announced the penalty but not its cause, confusing the entire audience if it wasn't obvious.

[Jason Morrella]

7. Go back to showing the rankings on the big screen on each field in between matches. Playing the adds for the sponsors is a good idea and practice, but maybe at least alternate - after one match show the ads, after the next match show the rankings, repeat.

8. The serpentine system experiment needs to end and go back to the regular draft order. Again, the C in FRC is for "competition". There is a reason they're called "qualifying matches" and why there are rankings...so teams can try to better their position and chances for the playoffs. There is no rational for punishing a team for seeding # 1 - they earned the right to pick first in each round.

9. The safety award. Great idea and worthy award to have. But the best ideas, if implemented poorly, are no longer good ideas. The award as it exists now is out of control and needs to be reined in - many have pointed out the examples, so I won't go into detail. It should be an award, but it needs to be fixed and treated like the rest of the awards. When more time, resources and judges are spent on any single award other than the Chairman's Award....it should be a signal that it needs to be revisited.

10. FIRST needs to let teams know that there is a wrap video at the end of the Championship Closing Ceremony. Those are great videos, teams love to see them and yet the stands were almost empty when it played because FIRST never told teams it was going to play. The guys who put that video together deserved to have it played to a full house, and the teams who paid $5,000 to be there deserved to see the montage of their experience.

11. FIRST needs to correctly publicize the agendas. Everyone knows at this point that it is NEVER a surprise that the closing ceremonies go "long". In fact, they don't go over the expected time at all - they take that long every year. Yet every year, FIRST prints that the playoffs will end earlier then they and all the teams know it will. Same at the regionals - we all know the playoffs do not end at 3pm....they haven't for years. Yet they still print that in the agenda, which is very bad when sponsors, guests and speakers make plans to watch the playoffs (or speak) and have to miss the end of the finals or the closing ceremonies because they made their schedule around the FIRST public agenda. End the ceremonies when you say you will, or say you will end them later - people just want an honest expectation of what to plan around and expect.

12. If your closing ceremonies go over the stated time, then the after party must be postponed appropriately. There is no excuse for asking performers to prepare to entertain all the teams, then force them to cut their act short and start before the teams arrive. That is not professional or gracious, and should never happen. Not to mention, all the teams who actually stayed at the closing ceremonies didn't get to see the entertainment at the team party that they were charged good money for - does that mean they get a partial refund? Of course not - so if they are going to charge for the ticket to attend, then they shouldn't start it until the ceremonies are over.

my .025 cents

Hope everyone has a wonderful off season!

[Evenstar_342]

Oh, I also wanted to comment about the "free tubes". While I didn't hear the announcment, I do think that that it was a good idea (it was also hilarious to watch the girls, I think on Curie, whatever field was behind Galileo, stuff themselves in inner tubes , it looked so fun!). We're trying to schedule an offseason event at our school to showcase the robot and the game and the tubes were a big help. Maybe next year, people should submit requests for tubes/whatever, and then FIRST can parcel them out after the ceremony or at least after matches on each field were over.

[Phil Ross]

I think the Pits need to be closer to the playing field.

it was really easy to loose track of time and miss a match because of the 15 minute walk.